Valley Theatre Scene Sees the Stars Align as Scottsdale Community College Theatre Arts Alumni Fill Stages Across the Valley
Scottsdale, AZ (January 23, 2008) -- Five SCC Theatre Arts alumni have converged on the Valley's theatre scene this month. With unique backgrounds and special talents, each actor has taken their theatre training to great heights -- acting in major roles or directing professional productions.
"It doesn't surprise me when they leave the program and are immediately cast," explains Randy Messersmith, Director of SCC's Theatre Arts program. "We offer one of the most comprehensive theatre programs in Arizona, and these grads have done the work with passion and commitment."
"SCC's Theatre Arts program is the best training program for young actors in Arizona," said SCC Theatre Arts grad Kyle Sorrell. "I was blown away by the level of investment the teachers had in each of their students. They gave us specific techniques to train our bodies, voices and expand our emotional repertoire to create the most interesting characters and spectacular theatre pieces."
Ten years have passed since Sorrell attended SCC, yet he has been busy working in the professional theatre and film industry for companies such as Stray Cat Theatre, Actor's Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Southwest Shakespeare Company, Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Jewish Theatre Company, and in film with dynamicfilm Studios and the BBC. Sorrell is currently performing in Almost, Maine, January 9 -- 27 at Phoenix Theatre.
David Dickinson, a recent grad of the SCC Theatre Arts program, is staring in The Busy World is Hushed -- performed at Actor's Theatre of Phoenix, January 11-28. Dickinson's theatre career is a relatively new one, having recently transitioned from the computer world that paid the bills to the theatre world which feeds his soul. "I took my first class at SCC and it really hit home for me," said Dickinson. He later attended Scottsdale Conservatory Theatre, SCC's summer theatre training program, which convinced him that theatre was indeed his new career. Dickinson, who is pictured above on stage at SCC, has performed in Two Gentlemen of Verona for Shakespeare Sedona, as well as Cyrano de Bergerac and Taming of the Shrew for Southwest Shakespeare Company.
SCC's pre-professional training program, Scottsdale Conservatory Theatre, gives acting students a distinct advantage in their craft. "Students leave the program immediately ready to enter the professional market," explains Messersmith. "The exposure to the mental, emotional and physical rigors of acting, as well as the ongoing networking opportunities offered in Conservatory are significant."
Dion Johnson, an accomplished actor, enrolled in his first SCC acting class in 1989. He distinctly remembers his first acting teacher at SCC as someone who 'brought a lot to the table' because he was acting in plays as well as teaching. "He was still doing it." Since then he has performed in more than fifty plays, including Phoenix Theatre's Leading Ladies, Nearly Naked Theatre's Take Me Out, and Phoenix Theatre's Dream a Little Dream. Although he has done various acting projects, he prefers live theatre. "Acting in front of an audience is very informative -- it is my first passion." Johnson is performing in Almost, Maine, January 9 -- 27 at Phoenix Theatre.
A retired computer programmer of 20 years, SCC Theatre Arts alumnus Garry Myers also knows a thing or two about re-careering. After leaving his programming job, he decided to try his hand at theatre arts and took his first acting class at SCC in the Fall of 2003. "I fell in love with it immediately and never looked back." Myers has performed in various plays locally, including several productions for the Southwest Shakespeare Company, Desert Rose Theatre, as well as the most recent SCC production of The Philanderer. He is currently staring in Football, the Musical from Darknight Productions, which opened January 3 at Grimaldi's in Scottsdale.
Christopher Williams entered SCC's program right out of high school, then went on to direct, teach, and perform. Williams remembers taking every theatre class that was offered at SCC--acting, theatre technology, voice and diction, film, lighting, and directing. "I worked on productions both in front and behind the curtain." When he was offered a teaching job at SCC, his mentors became his colleagues. "The most amazing thing about SCC is that it creates an environment of trust, joy and family," said Williams. "The faculty have been and will always be the reason I love theatre and why I wish to share it with everyone else." He is currently directing Halpern and Johnson for Arizona Jewish Theatre Company, which runs from January 5 -- 20 at Paradise Valley Community College.
"One of the most important things we can teach our students is to reach beyond their self-imposed limitations and trust their own impulses," says Messersmith. "And after all is said and done, there's no prouder moment than seeing our students on a professional stage doing what they love."
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About SCC Theatre Arts:
The Theatre Arts program at Scottsdale Community College integrates the study of theatre history, dramatic literature, theory, and aesthetic concepts with the development of practical skills in acting, directing, design, and theatre technology. Recognized by national theatre educators and professionals for the outstanding achievements of its students and faculty, the SCC Theatre Arts program combines classroom study with opportunities for public performance and summer professional training. Students receive experience and education through a combination of coursework, performance and production -- culminating in the Associate of Arts, Fine Arts Degree in Theatre. To learn more about the program, faculty, honors, and awards, call (480) 423-6356 or visit www.scottsdalecc.edu/theatre.
About Scottsdale Community College:
Scottsdale Community College offers over 1,500 academic and non-credit classes each semester. Located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the campus is known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful plant and wildlife. With nearly 12,000 students, Scottsdale Community College is proud to offer high-quality, affordable programs in small class settings. From Motion Picture/Television Production and Culinary Arts to Nursing and American Indian Studies, students have a wide variety of programs from which to earn credits for university transfer, launch their careers, train for new ones, or pursue a special interest. The SCC Business Institute offers customized programs to meet the needs of local business. Scottsdale Community College is one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges.
To learn about the many academic programs at Scottsdale Community College, call us at (480) 423-6000 or visit our website at www.scottsdalecc.edu.
Media contact:
Denise Kronsteiner
(480) 423-6567
denise.kronsteiner@sccmail.maricopa.edu
Theatre Arts contact:
Randy Messersmith
(480) 423-6718
r.messersmith@sccmail.maricopa.edu
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